Health experts have asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to reject calls to order a total lockdown to contain Covid-19.
Uhuru has been under pressure to impose a total lockdown. This followed the alarming numbers reported in daily briefings by the National Emergency Response Committee chaired by Health CS Mutahi Kagwe.
The President has called a meeting with governors on Monday to assess the impact of the recently lifted restrictions.
There are indications a lockdown is in the works, especially after the Ministry of Education cautioned its staff against making trips outside Nairobi.
President Kenyatta equally directed Cabinet secretaries against leading delegations to inspect projects.
Sources intimated to the Star on Thursday that the government seemingly is buying the idea of total lockdown, but experts think otherwise.
Dr. Mark Nanyingi, an epidemiologist; Dr Mohamud Sheik aka Omar, an infectious disease expert and Wajir South MP; and Amref Health Africa CEO Dr Githinji Gitahi expressed their reservations.
They said it would be a little too late to impose such measures in the face of sustained community transition.
Nanyingi said lockdowns will only make sense if the healthcare capacity is fixed and frontline health workers trained.
“Even if you locked down now, psychologically it brings safety as it will scale down infections but the overall success will not be achieved.
“Covid-19 transmissions happen indoors, not on the road. It happens where someone sits most of the time,” he said.
He cited a US study that showed 70 per cent of transmissions are indoors.
Nanyingi further called for more efforts to improve contract tracing system, saying there has been a lapse in the same.
“We also need a system to shield people with underlying conditions or prioritise their needs.”
“I was for it [lockdown] but the disease has evolved, and we haven’t put in place measures we thought would help us stump out the disease,” Nanyingi said.
Dr Omar (Wajir South MP) said ‘lockdown is no longer tenable and should not be repeated.’
The infectious diseases expert said the 2019 seasonal influenza flu affected more people than the current coronavirus pandemic.
“In science, we believe in ‘herd’ immunity and that natural immunity is what our population needs. In simple layman’s term ‘protect me, so I protect you’,” the MP said.
“The reality of the population’s sharing of the nasal carriage is a good example of how humans protect each other from other microbial conditions.”
“Epidemiology dictates that ‘we are our brother’s keeper’ in terms of protecting each other from infectious diseases,” the MP added.
He pushed for a reasonable solution, further asking those advising the President to be realistic.
“Individuals who ring-fence the President are doing no good for this country,” the Wajir South lawmaker added.
“Expertise should be engaged to help the President tackle this pandemic and any future similar challenges.”
Gitahi said a lockdown would have made more sense if it was for a particular purpose of preparedness.
“I don’t think it is needed unless we have an assessment where we establish gaps that need to be filled,” Gitahi tweeted.
The medics have also cited the countermanding effect posed by the international travels resuming on August 1.
Governors have equally changed tune and want Uhuru to initiate tougher measures, especially on enforcement of MoH protocols.
Council of Governors chairman Wycliffe Oparanya told the Star this will be in the agenda of their Monday meeting with the President.
The view of the council, Oparanya said, is that Nairobi should not be on lockdown 'being the hub of Kenya's economy' and that international flights commence as scheduled.
Oparanya said they will push the government to increase testing centres – at least in each county, citing cases where Lake Region counties have to take samples to Kisumu.
“If we can enhance testing, it will help us know what to do to contain the spread. We will also emphasise the need to enforce the protocols. Enforcement is very critical to help contain this disease.”
Oparanya said they will also bid for the release of cash to counties. “No money is flowing to counties now, and yet they are supposed to respond to the pandemic.”
Governors Mutahi Kahiga (Nyeri), Lee Kinyanjui (Nakuru) and Alfred Mutua (Machakos) have been pushing for tougher conditions.
Dr Omar said the President's focus should be on protecting the livelihoods of the people and saving the economy.
He said the situation of poverty, hunger and destitution has worsened in the last five months.
“Poor Kenyan families are starving. Wajir South people are a good example of people who are starving. It is real, seriously real,” Dr Omar said.
Edited by A.N